Time for change - The battle against fast fashion

The more I learn about sustainable fashion and how fast fashion is becoming a big contributor to destroying our planet, (it was estimated over 235 million unwanted clothing from Britain alone ended up in landfill last year) the less interested I become in buying new clothes from the high street. Now, I am no innocent in fast fashion, I used to do a Primark big shop for the family twice a year & I have no idea how much I was buying in between that on trips into town on my lunch breaks. 

I became obsessed with owning the next big thing, I honestly liked the disposable fashion idea inspired by wealthy Japanese kids in Harajuku, I couldn't afford it so the high street was the next best thing, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters & especially cheap as chips Primarni. 

Fast Fashion Primark Sunday haul from 2014 blog post

Previous to the high street obsession, I ran my own label and made my own clothes, many of them were sustainably sourced & upcycled from old garms, so why had I fallen so far from the DIY/make & do ethos I had when designing from my own fashion label? It was time. I had two small children & seriously had no time to make my own garms anymore, I was tired & frankly penniless! The fashion business came to an end & cheap, fast fashion was my only vice, I could just afford it. I then got a job at Venue Magazine, which I loved, so I had some extra money to buy more garms & could buy everything I needed online, just sitting at my desk. 

So, I still had no time to make my own garms, I had become a lazy shopper, just consuming whenever I wanted to at work. I started to discover new, independent labels like Lazy Oaf, who I still love, the prices weren't cheap but the garms were unique, good quality & on limited runs. I still buy a select few Lazy Oaf garms a year, I have to be honest, they are my ittle treat to myself. 

One of my treat Lazy Oaf garms with a slogan that is, very much so, in context! 

In 2015 I was invited along to a fashion salvage event by sustainable fashion activist & now good friend, Helen Brown, I was there for the blogging really, I wanted to get an article out of it. The team at Bristol Textiles Recycling completely woke me up out of my fast fashion haze, what on earth was I doing mass buying from Primark?

No Debutante & Helen Brown at a BTR fashion salvage event 2015

I wasn't completely cured from fast-fashion at this point. I filled my bags with fashion salvaged clothing, loving every moment of trawling through the bins for more fashion items! I was hungry for it, I felt awful. Helen made me feel a bit better by saying I was saving them from landfill, but in reality it was just contributing to my fast-fashion problem. However, I am also a massive clothes hoarder and Helen knew it! I still have most of the garms from that fashion-salvage event back in 2015, except for a couple of items (one of which I shrank in the wash). 

Helen Brown & No Debutante styled up in fashion salvaged garms 2015

I am happy to say that, even though I am still really too busy to do so, I have started creating my own garms again, inspired by all the amazing fashion designers I have met as a writer but also to start up again, where I left off, creating sustainable fashion in small runs to limit garment waste & save myself from fast fashion.

A sample garm from the Fruit Salad fashion label by No Debutante

As a fashion blogger who used to mainly write posts about my latest outfits, my fave high street shops & the latest fashion trends, it has come to my attention that I am no longer that blogger. I don't have enough new items to share, I am buying less. I am enjoying the challenge to only buy garments that I really love & styling up as many different outfit variations as I can with the items that are already in my wardrobe. 

I write about sustainable fashion & fashion independents, I still love fashion! My instagram posts are beginning to reflect this personal change in fashion, I no longer post 'What I Wore' every day (yes everyday, I was obsessed) I take little snap shots of outfits with the occasional WIW full body shots. I will, of course, still follow & promote fashion, it has been a real challenge for me to turn away from fast fashion but I feel I have grown up & realised what is actually more important to me as a fashion journalist & fashion advocate. 

No Debutante instagram images

Fashion has always been fast, it still is, but we can all change our ways, get a little bit wiser & consider a bit of slow fashion. Instead of focusing on trends & the next big thing, why not move our focus on to working with what we already have? 

Do you really need to own these things? Get a bit more savvy, it's not just about the fashion item or the label, its about how you wear it. I am not saying stop buying fashion labels & new garms, I still do it, treat yourself but slow down; the fashion labels will still be there but perhaps this will help to stop crazy, weekly fast fashion drops, that brands like Supreme are known for, it really is not necessary, if we slow down, they will too. 

Independent and sustainable fashion brands in Bristol
inc She Shirts, That Thing, Laa Woof, Duvet Days & Tezla Designs

Consider buying sustainably made, quality clothing that will last longer, or maybe, now that you are buying less, you can support local & independent designers, (many of whom promote sustainable fashion) keeping our fashion industry moving & your threads lookin unique, as independent designers only create small runs of their garms, keeping waste to a minimum.

It is estimated that Britain will spring clean & de-clutter their wardrobes sending an astonishing 680 million garms to charity shops & landfill each year, (that is in just Britain!)with many of the charity shops passing most of their donations onto landfill too. Perhaps give a second thought to your de-cluttering & fast-fashion obsessions, if repair & remake isn't your thing yet, why not make a start by buying less & resale/pass on good quality items. Stop now, save the planet, get involved! I'd like to say it's never too late but that isn't true is it? 



Thanks to this interesting article from The Guardian for the stats! 

If you are having a fashion event, a new collection or fun event you would like No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

No Debutante promotes fashion independents, new designers & sustainable fashion. 

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine here under my name 

Emma Gorton-Ellicott

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me nodebutanteblog@gmail.com

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest all under the #nodebutante name. 

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas

ND xx 

Catching up with Bristol 24/7 - Part 2

It's amazing how your brain becomes so open and inspired when you are away from your usual life, whilst on holiday I must have truly gone into relax mode as I sat on a sun lounger in the baking heat of Mallorca, my head just started filling up with so many ideas for blogging and writing and life in general, I found myself positively inspired.
There is no saying I will carry out all of my new ideas but being away from my natural surrounding had opened a door which seemed, not completely shut but a little blocked somehow....blocked with life and all it's paraphernalia. 
One of my decisions made during this inspiring time was to write more No Debutante blog posts and articles for the Bristol 24/7 website, I really enjoy writing so why not do more of what you like? 

Here's a selection of the latest No Debutante posts for Bristol 24/7 magazine featuring fashion designers, upcycling events, fabulous festivals, fashion shows and young creatives, all based in the awesome city of Bristol, as the Fashion Editor, Emma Gorton-Ellicott.  

Young Bristolian artists put on a show to remember

A group of emerging young artists from the North Bristol Post-16 Centre exhibited a creative display of contemporary textiles, art and photography for their End of Show extravaganza at Centrespace Gallery. Read more here

Heritage fashion flies high

Bristol-based Peregrine Clothing are a classic English Heritage brand, producing high end knitwear and outerwear collections – perfect for our fickle British weather. Read more here

The Fashion Front and Bzzaar combine forces 

Two local fashionistas have come together to create fabulous fashion happenings in Bristol. Read more here

The summer of love

Love Saves The Day is the perfect name for the annual Eastville Park festival with a rainbow clash of everything that glitters and sparkles mixed with a bohemian/streetwear mash up. Read more here

Revamp, restyle, reuse

The Revamp, Restyle, Reuse event, part of Fashion Revolution Week, took place in Bristol Energy Hub. Designers and lovers of recycled fashion worked in collaboration with Bristol upcycling heroes Emmaus Bristol, Bristol Textile Recyclers (BTR) and Kecks Clothing. Read more here

Bristol’s fashion army

Despite never visiting the UK before, Jerry Grocravla moved to Bristol from Paris, ended up falling in love with our city and has been here ever since. Read more here

Moi xx

Photographs from the first two articles courtesy of  Maddie Rees and Peregrine Clothing. All other photography by No Debutante.

If you are having a fashion event or a have a new collection you would like No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine here under my name Emma Gorton-Ellicott

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr,  Pinterest all under the #nodebutante name.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas.    
ND xx

A New Start - Bristol 24/7

Hey Fashionistas! Check out No Debutante's first Fashion article as the Fashion Editor of Bristol 24/7 Magazine. I'm so excited!!! The article features info on sustainable fashion, upcycling, reducing waste and the Bristol fashionistas who are spreading awareness & creating amazing upcycled garments from your waste! Article includes No Debutante favourites Bristol Textiles Recycling (BTR), Fix Up Look Sharp, Keck's Clothing and Antiform. 

A New Start

Have you ever considered what happens to all those clothes you bought cheap from Primark and got rid of without wearing? Read more here.....

 

Clic Sargents 'Fix Up Look Sharp' Upcycle old clothing & fabrics into fun fashion items.

 

Photo by Alistair Campbell Photography

Antiform upcycle old rolls of fabric from the fashion industry

 

Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing & No Debutante in Fashion Salvaged items from BTR

Top image sourced from Bristol Textiles Recyclers

If you are having a fashion event or a have a new collection you would like
No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine here under my name Emma Gorton-Ellicott

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me on nodebutanteblog.gmail.com


Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr,  Pinterest. all under the #nodebutante name.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

To The Moon In Style

As an alternative to the current, so called, Bristol Fashion week (all Malls, high street brands and celebrities) a collection of Bristol Female Fashionistas including myself, the lovely former buyer & stylist Gemma from the newly opened To The Moon Boutique/ Bar & sustainable fashion queen Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing are settling up a collaborative of Bristol based designers including, sustainable fashion label Antiform, to come together with other Bristol based fashion designers & creatives to promote all things Bristol Fashion, including sustainable fashion & streetwear to get Bristol on the Fashion map. Its not all about London after all...

Where Bristol Fashion is currently failing is not in creatively or talent, its a bubble of creativity and originality, the problem is, if we are going to compete with London as a leading city of Fashion, Bristol designers & creatives need to be supported by Bristol. London Fashion week is not all about high street fashion, it is about the independent designers themselves, London supports new and local talent, giving them a showcase to share their work and creativity with others. If Bristol Fashion designers were given the support from Bristol, the way London supports London Fashion, whether this would be through grants or independent sponsors, then it currently stands a chance at becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Fashion world.

The Independent Fashion Focus at To The Moon in Bristol is the first step in the process to getting Bristol noticed, the plan is to start up a Bristol Fashion Scene, arranging meet ups & events that's will bring everybody together & help with promotion & fashion events, which will lead up to a Bristol Fashion week that is real Bristol Fashion by Bristol Fashion designers and creatives. I think it is true to say that nothing at the current Bristol Fashion Week has anything to do with Bristol, except that it is based in a Mall in Bristol. All the garments in the Fashion show are from corporate high street brands, garments that are designed & made outside of Bristol & are massed produced to every high street around the world. Where is the creativity in that? Where is the Bristol in this fashion week???

Lizzie Harrison from Antiform is a perfect example of what is happening in the (currently secret) world of Bristol Fashion. Lizzie sources waste fabrics & off cuts from UK fabric manufacturers including lacemakers and knitwear companies, many of whom have supplied to great British Fashion institutions like Vivienne Westwood & Liberty, these are British craftsmen at their best. Some of these off cuts have been rejected by quality control for having small imperfections in them which would go to waste, luckily for Lizzie & Antiform, these manufacturers save many of their unused rolls of fabric which Lizzie then creates something new from a wasted product. The whole of the Antiform collections are made from sourced waste fabrics and trims, they are given a new lease of life, as well as being great for the environment, the nature of using small off cuts means that each garment will be unique & different, the cut of the garments will remain the same but each piece will be unique!

No Debutante buddy Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing also did one of her eye-opening talks on upcycling and reuse. Helen works closely with Bristol Textiles Recycling (BTR) promoting reuse by showing how we can all get involved with upcycling & generally saving the planet! Helen holds talks & workshops on upcycling & presents them at sustainable fashion events & also in schools, encouraging everyone to be aware & how to get involved. On this occasion Helen brought along a case full of wasted t-shirts that she had picked up from BTR who coincidentally receive over 4000 wasted tshirts a week! Which is shocking! Helen has many ideas on how you can reuse a tshirt on this occasion she showed us how you can turn a tshirt into a ball of yarn, which was fantastic! Helen also has a fashion line of upcycled & vintage items that she has creatively upcycled & rescued from landfill. These items are currently available at Emmaus in Bristol where Helen also has her studio.

Creatively & sustainably there is a lot going on in Bristol. Help us get Bristol on that fashion map by following all Bristol fashion designers & creatives on social media under #bristol #bristolfashion #fashiondesigners and Like and Share what they are doing. You don't have to be from Bristol to support Bristol fashion! Support Bristol Fashion!

If you would like to join us, get involved or help promote Bristol Fashion or know anybody rolling in money who may wish to help us out then please do get in touch.

Thanks so much to Gemma and Chris at To The Moon for holding the event & creating awareness to all things sustainable, shipshaped & Bristol fashion!! 

 Lizzie from Antiform introducing the new collection

 

Tiny strips of unused UK sourced trim make up the pattern on this Antiform Peasant Dress

 No D in Glitter knit Antiform top & vintage trousers from To The Moon Boutique

 Party Guests styling up To The Moon items for a Fashion challenge #tothemooninstyle

Ottowin Shoes handmade in Bristol...No D wants them in a bright pink!

 Helen from Kecks Clothing draws a crowd of Bristol & Bath fashion students for an upcycling presentation

My ladeez.....Gemma & Helen

All photography by No Debutante

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me nodebutanteblog@gmail.com

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest

all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

 Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx

Reduce, Reuse and Upcycle

Bristols upcycling queen Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing has collaborated with  Emmaus Bristol with an aim to bring reuse to the forefront of the charity sector, preventing landfilll waste, saving money and helping you revamp your stuff and your wardrobe! On Friday 15th July ( as part of a Bristol fashion doublewhammy alongside the That Thing Festival Showcase launch to follow this post shortly) No Debutante attended the launch party for the 'Upcycling Lounge' at Emmaus Bristol to find out more about the collaboration with Kecks Clothing.

Helen from Kecks Clothing, is one of Bristols top reuse specialists whom regularly holds workshops and talks inspiring and promoting upcycling and reuse, working closely with local charities and Bristol Textiles Recyclers to help promote  the benefits of reuse and to show you what you can do to help and get upcycling yourself! Kecks Clothing itself is a fashion and textiles brand upcycling preloved clothing with hand drawn designs and stencil prints. Kecks Clothing is available to buy at the Upcycling Lounge, Emmaus, Bristol. 

 I have fond memories of upcycling, stencil printing and customising preloved clothing as over ten years ago I had my own fashion and upcycling brand named Phlem ( I agree the name isn't great but it certainly got attention!) which sadly had to come to an end due to a lack of childcare & finances for the two beautiful children I had brought into the world with my business partner (and husband) Phil! It was a different time then and collab spaces were a very new thing that didn't yet exist in Bristol, I think as a small business we would have benefited from this greatly! I am very proud of Phlem and what we achieved.

Emmaus itself is a homelessness charity with a difference, not only raising money and awareness for the charity but also finding homes, jobs and support for many homeless people. Helping them get their lives back on track.

Check out the Upcycling Lounge at Emmaus Bristol on Upper York street, Stokes Croft, Bristol for clothing, workshops and Furniture in a relaxed and modern vintage atmosphere and find yourself a bargain. Find your local Emmaus store here and get involved!

If you are having a fashion event or a have a new collection you would like No Debutante to promote please get in touch! You do not have to be from Bristol or even the UK. Fashion newbies are very welcome!

All photography by No Debutante

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr,  Pinterest.
Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx
ND xx

No Debutante Vs Kecks Clothing - A Contradiction

My Bristol buddy and fellow fashionista mum Helen from Kecks Clothing has been taking part in a challenge set by Labour Behind The Label to wear only six items of clothing for six weeks, a challenge that I know I could never consider (as shallow as it sounds, I just love all of my clothes too much!!) so it's a challenge that I am very intrigued by and definitely wanted to find out more about as well as helping Helen promote her challenge.

Helen, loves fashion and clothes and works in an environment where she is surrounded by clothing everyday, new ones, coming in all of the time, can you imagine any fashionista resisting all the lovely new (or rather salvaged) clothes??? I know this is a personal challenge for fashion lover Helen who took on the fundraising challenge for Labour Behind The Label - a campaign that works to improve conditions and empower workers in the global garment industry. 

The challenge itself is an anti Fast Fashion campaign, or a Fashion Fast as it's been named, against the fast fashion turnovers which now take place within the fashion industry. Fast fashion gets products onto the high street quicker, to meet the desire for new fashion trends, which can change on a 4 weekly basis now that social media spreads the word quicker than the monthly fashion mags used to. With the desire to sell more, consume more, make more, waste more causing a devastating effect on the people who make our clothes. 
This anti fast fashion challenge makes you look at how many clothes you are buying, wasting and hopefully will make you see that you can live with fewer items in your wardrobe and that you do not need to buy extra items just because they are cheap. Plus if the items are cheap, how low is the wage of the person making your cheap fast fashion?? Consider upcycling and fashion salvages to save items from landfill and get creative with upcycling your own clothes.

The Challenge

Helen's challenge is now completed. WELL DONE HELEN!! However you can still donate or help fundraise for  Labour Behind the Label, So dig deep people.

Helen chose her six items, which can be worn with any coats, shoes, accessories (and of course underwear) and then covered up her (already filled to the brim) wardrobe with a big sheet to stop her lusting after extra fashion items. Please check out how Helen is did on the Kecks Clothing blog.

Four weeks in  Helen had reported to No Debutante that having only six items of clothing to choose from each morning had made getting ready in the mornings simpler but she wishes she had chosen warmer items as the weather here in Bristol has been pretty cold the last few months.

 'But all in all, it's been good, despite a few moments of getting bored with the six items the challenge is going well and accessorising has really helped.' 

Check out Helens blog Kecks Online to find out how the challenge went for Helen.

Helen's Six Items for Six Weeks

1. An extra large Pink Floyd t-shirt,
2. Faded denim shirt,
3. Black three-quarter length sleeve jumper,
4. Black and white striped vest dress,
5. Red wrap around dress
6. Helen's favourite ripped skinny jeans  

 A few of Helen's six items in six weeks outfits - The perfect capsule wardrobe

I am almost intrigued enough by the challenge to have a go, how hard can it be? In contradiction, let's have a look how many items of clothing No Debutante has worn over the past six weeks........You may think I am not up to the challenge...I am honestly embarrased by what is coming!

No Debutante's items for 6 weeks
(this list has been shortened into basic terms otherwise we'd be here all year)

9 x Jeans / Trouser/ leggings 

12 x Tops including t-shirts, long sleeves and shirts

5 x jumpers and sweatshirts

3 x jackets

14 x dresses (yes, 14 dresses!)

3 x skirts

(Thank goodness I didn't have to declare all of the shoes and coats that I wore too!)

A small selection of the 45 items that No Debutante wore over six weeks! 

In conclusion, I would firstly like to justify that I am a total hoarder and I have owned a lot of my clothes for years, basically I become very attached to nearly every piece of clothing I own, I really do love my clothes, perhaps I don't need to own and keep this many clothes but I am not wasting clothes and sending them to landfill, I just want to save all the clothes from landfill.....and put them in my wardrobe.....ahem! I love fashion and changing my look so much that i don't think the Six Items challenge will make me stop wearing so many clothes but it does make me stop and think about how often I am buying items just because I think I need them or because they are cheap. Do I really need them??

Don't forget to  check out Labour Behind The Label to find out more about the workers who make all your fast fashion items and fundraising and Kecks Online  for ideas on upcycling and sustainable fashion. 

Perhaps in the very near future you may get to see a 6 items challenge from No Debutante.......Watch This Space...Why not try it youself or let me know how many items you have worn in six weeks, I bet you'll be surprised!

All photos, except for the No Debutante images, courtesy of Helen Brown at Kecks Clothing.
 
If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx

No Debutante Vs Kecks Clothing Fashion Salvage Shoot

Back in September Helen from Kecks Clothing and No Debutante finally got together to shoot the brilliant Fashion Salvage finds from the previous Bristol Textiles Recyclers / Love Your Clothes event (we've been to another BTR event since then so expect more Fashion Salvage posts very soon). Check out what actually happened at my first Fashion Salvage post here

In a nutshell, we found the most amazing, random, bizarre and beautiful pieces ever and didn't have a clue that we had coincidentally 'found' similar outfit's. It was more of a mad (boiling hot) haze of excitement and chaos at that particular BTR fashion Salvage event at the beginning of summer, that when it came to condensing down all of our fashion salvage items it seemed as if we had almost carefully considered what we would actually take home that evening in preparation for this shoot (not the actual reality of melting from the heat and randomly putting outfits together last minute on piles of disregarded clothing for the final event photos, after completely missing the judging!) Here are the results of our finds, styled up by No Debutante and Helen from Kecks Clothing, as we rightfully decided we started Sports Goth (alas we did not) and the Mu mu Mamma trend! Find us print clashing it up Geek chic stylee, Riot Grrrls, pretty dresses, grunge layering and tattooed children. Enjoy!

Psychedelic Tunic  Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Leopard print Tshirt fashion salvaged from BTR

Khaki printed shirt and Skeleton bodysuit Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Sheer Maxi Skirts Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Embroidered Maxi Dress fashion Salvaged from BTR

Monochrome Tea Dress Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Printed Maxi dress (worn as a Kimono), black Sheer vest top, Boho printed handmade trousers all Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Sheer Tshirt, Printed cardigan and Denim Cut offs all fashion Salvaged from BTR

Aztec oversized Shorts Fashion Salvaged from BTR

(below)  Floral printed Maxi Mumu's both Fashion Salvaged from BTR

 Wuthering Heights

 This has nothing to do with Fashion Salvaging I just wanted to dress Helen up like Enid from Ghost World.

  Fleece Christmas Pug Jumper Fashion Salvaged from BTR

Helen and I had such fun with this shoot and I cannot wait to do another one. Fashion Salvage events are amazing, love your clothes, upcycle, recycle but don't throw anything away! 

All styling by No Debutante and Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing.

All other clothing are models own! Including items from Meadham Kirchhoff, Primark, Dr Martens, American Apparel, Topshop, Kuccia & The White Pepper.

Thank you to the lovely Helen from Kecks Clothing in Bristol for the collab and a massive thank you to Bristol Textiles Recyclers BTR for the clothes!! 

Thanks for checking in today fashionistas and please do check out your local clothing recyclers for Fashion salvage events and visits. Get involved!!

 
If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutante's OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest. 

ND xx